Unmanned aerial vehicle angular reorientation

• US 9,211,947 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2013
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerovironment
• Original Assignee: Aerovironment
• Inventors: Miralles, Carlos
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwari, Maceeh
• Application Number:
  US14/016,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20140172200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 2201/00 Hybrid airships, i.e. airships where lift is generated aerodynamically and statically
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/16 actuated automatically, e.g. responsive to gust detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/18 for dropping bombs; for firing ammunition
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2253 Passive homing systems, i.e. comprising a receiver and do not requiring an active illumination of the target
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2286 using radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2293 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/12 Target-seeking control

Abstract

A system comprising an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having wing elements and tail elements configured to roll to angularly orient the UAV by rolling so as to align a longitudinal plane of the UAV, in its late terminal phase, with a target. A method of UAV body re-orientation comprising: (a) determining by a processor a boresight angle error correction value bases on distance between a target point and a boresight point of a body-fixed frame; and (b) effecting a UAV maneuver comprising an angular role rate component translating the target point to a re-oriented target point in the body-fixed frame, to maintain the offset angle via the offset angle correction value.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

a processor having addressable memory, the processor configured to;

determine a body roll angle error based on a target location in a body reference frame and an orientation of the UAV in the body reference frame; and

determine one or more aileron actuator commands based on the determined body roll angle error;

wherein the processor of the UAV is further configured to bank-to-turn, and to transition to reorient in attitude based on an estimated range-to-go and an angular position of the target relative to the UAV.

2. The UAV of claim 1 where the body roll angle error is further based on at least one of:

a GPS location of the UAV, a crosswind estimation, and a crosswind measurement.

3. The UAV of claim 1 where the target location is determined by a guidance sensor suite.

4. The UAV of claim 3 where the guidance sensor suite comprises at least one of:

a passive radar subsystem, an active radar subsystem, an infrared detection subsystem, an infrared imaging subsystem, a visible light imaging subsystem, and an ultraviolet light detection subsystem.

5. The UAV of claim 1 where the target location is received, by an antenna of the UAV, post-launch of the UAV by a third-party.

6. The UAV of claim 1 where the target location is modified, by an antenna of the UAV, post-launch of the UAV by a third-party.

7. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

a processor having addressable memory, the processor configured to;

determine a body roll angle error based on a target location in a body reference frame and an orientation of the UAV in the body reference frame; and

determine one or more aileron actuator commands based on the determined body roll angle error;

wherein the processor of the UAV is further configured to skid-to-turn, and to transition to reorient in attitude based on an estimated range-to-go and an angular position of the target relative to the UAV.

8. The UAV of claim 7 where the body roll angle error is further based on at least one of:

a GPS location of the UAV, a crosswind estimation, and a crosswind measurement.

9. The UAV of claim 7 where the target location is determined by a guidance sensor suite.

10. The UAV of claim 9 where the guidance sensor suite comprises at least one of:

a passive radar subsystem, an active radar subsystem, an infrared detection subsystem, an infrared imaging subsystem, a visible light imaging subsystem, and an ultraviolet light detection subsystem.

11. The UAV of claim 7 where the target location is received, by an antenna of the UAV, post-launch of the UAV by a third-party.

12. The UAV of claim 7 where the target location is modified, by an antenna of the UAV, post-launch of the UAV by a third-party.

13. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

a processor having addressable memory, the processor configured to;

determine a body roll angle error based on a target location in a body reference frame and an orientation of the UAV in the body reference frame; and

determine one or more aileron actuator commands based on the determined body roll angle error;

wherein the processor of the UAV is further configured to;

receive, by an antenna, a mode control signal, wherein the mode control signal is configured to effect a transition of a current mode to a new mode, wherein

if the current mode is a terminal homing mode then the new mode is a target search mode,

else the new mode is a terminal homing mode.

14. The UAV of claim 13 where the body roll angle error is further based on at least one of:

a GPS location of the UAV, a crosswind estimation, and a crosswind measurement.

15. The UAV of claim 13 where the target location is determined by a guidance sensor suite.

16. The UAV of claim 15 where the guidance sensor suite comprises at least one of:

a passive radar subsystem, an active radar subsystem, an infrared detection subsystem, an infrared imaging subsystem, a visible light imaging subsystem, and an ultraviolet light detection subsystem.

17. The UAV of claim 13 where the target location is received, by an antenna of the UAV, post-launch of the UAV by a third-party.